Enterprise Management Applications (EMA) and other similar management applications may provide business solutions for creating reports by providing project templates and modeling tools. The applications may operate over a Web-based framework that allows for users to interact with data in the Enterprise Management Application through a Web browser. A user may create new content for the EMA, and also modify existing content. In an Enterprise Management Application, program development and modification may typically be accomplished using the application's own integrated development environment, which resides in the EMA. Most additions and changes can be made with resources in an application server (AS) contained in the EMA and using the Integrated Development Environment (IDE). More advanced applications and modifications can be created by using separate Application Development Environment (ADE) that are specifically designed for providing a platform for programming of projects and applications. Some Enterprise Management Applications may be configured to allow for some development and modification of programs, projects, and applications using separate ADEs, however, the applications are not typically integrated together or synchronized, and programming and development for EMAs in separate Application Development Environments may consequentially be cumbersome and inconvenient.
As EMA designers and partners develop more code for the EMA, one challenge they face is tooling support for a simple, effective, consistent, and long term sustainable solution for shipping and customizing code. Traditionally, code for EMA is shipped separate of the EMA applications, and the EMA applications are typically not aware of the artifacts. As a result, the paradigms of customization, shipping, packaging, source control, deployment, and other EMA-specific items do not apply to code artifacts, which are an essential part of the EMA applications. Furthermore, ADEs provide a wide range of capabilities and tools for code development, but code is not developed using an ADE in an integrated manner within an EMA environment.